The holiday volunteering rush is over, but the deep freeze is here. Local homeless shelters still need volunteers. Here's MomSpeaker EJ Curran's recent volunteering experience to inspire.
Through Girl Scouts, my daughter and I recently volunteered at a homeless shelter, Dover Interfaith Mission for Housing in Dover, DE. Although we've volunteered for other causes over the years, this was our first experience volunteering at a homeless shelter. The girls prepared an enormous variety of foods in the kitchen, set the tables and served the food. We also wrapped additional meals for those men who were working during the meal. The experience made such an impression on us both.
Prior to serving dinner, all volunteers and guests joined in a circle of hands and thankful prayer. Anyone who wanted to speak was able to say something, whether it was offer news of a local job opportunity or give a short speech of thanks. While my daughter was serving each guest, I could see her mind working as she looked into the eyes of strangers she didn't know, who had so much less than she. Each person's situation was different and a variety of ages of adult men were served, all of whom were extremely thankful to our group of girls and to the facility.
A huge part of the success of local food pantries, shelters and food banks depends on volunteerism. Here are some helpful tips to get your family started on a path of volunteerism.
- Find a local homeless shelter or food bank. Click here on MetroKids or use websites like HomelessShelterDirectory.org or FeedingAmerica.org for contact information.
- Prepare a meal for a local homeless shelter. Spend an evening at a local homeless shelter preparing and/or serving a meal. Many facilities offer breakfast, lunch or dinner services that depend on volunteerism.
- Donate clothes, supplies and food to your local homeless shelter.
Dover Interfaith Mission for Housing's mission statement is as follows: We are an interfaith community organization addressing the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of homeless men in the Greater Dover area by providing them with shelter and sustenance, fostering self-reliance and offering encouragement and a vision of hope for their lives.
If you're in the Dover area, consider volunteering at Dover Interfaith Mission for Housing. Contributions can be a full dinner or part of the evening's meal. The building houses a full-size kitchen where meals can be prepared or you can bring contributions from home. You can also donate clothing, food, bicycles and other items.
EJ Curran is a Delaware mom. This post is adapted from her blog, Four Little Monsters, at FourLittleMonsters.com.
